"The Marquee is one of rock's most famous landmarks. Originally on Oxford Street, it had already made its name as a jazz club before the R n' B groups started to come in. In 1964, it moved to a new home on Wardour Street. The Small Faces made their debut here on Tuesday 22 March 1966. They canceled an appearance at The Palais in Ilford in order to accommodate this gig. The gig was filmed by Canadian TV for a documentary on the London music scene."

Ambrose Slade often played The Marquee Club in London because it was good prestige. They would follow it up with an early morning set at another venue like The Temple, to make it financially worthwhile.

Having broken through with Slade Alive they played the Marquee on Tuesday 29th and two days later in the Midlands Bible*, The Express and Star, Thursday 31st August 1972, John Ogden reports...

OK, it's in black and white, it was filmed. It's at an excellent time in their career, I think that would represent Slade's most promising moment for me. Really on top of their game, four days after the release of Mama Weer All Crazee Now, not too much commercial success, little pretension.... if the footage of this gig was found, it would be definitive for Slade, bordering on iconic for 70's Rock.

It's possible that this is the TV appearance that was mentioned in the August/September 1972 Fan Club Newsletter(page 16, The Slade Papers: News In Brief). I guess the 'In Concert' reference must be the Radio 1 audio recording but there is, so far, no sign of film footage. Anybody know any different?

Slade have brought out a new single "Mama Weer All Crazee Now". This record must be a gigantic hit just as have their previous releases.

Obviously Slade have achieved a hit format because all their recent singles have some kind of similarity but one is forced to wonder what would happen if they changed their single sound.

T. Rex changed style slightly with “Metal Guru" and that single didn't stay in the chart half as long as their others.

Don’t get me wrong. I like the funk of the sound produced by Messrs, Holder, Hill and the others who make up Slade. In fact, they’re a good rock band.

I would simply like to hear a new approach single-wise from them, just to see if it's the band that makes the hit. Or the sound they create."

New Musical Express: 2nd September 1972

Bearing in mind that, at this point, the groups track history "single-wise" consisted of Get Down & Get With It, Coz I Love You, Look Wot You Dun and Take Me Bak 'Ome, can somebody explain to me, just what the hell is this guy talking about?

Once again, a Jim Lea and Noddy Holder composition produced by Chas Chandler, it was the band's third number-one single in the United Kingdom, spending three weeks at the top in September 1972 and topping the chart in Ireland. The single also managed to chart in the USA, where it peaked at #76..

"Mama Weer All Crazee Now was the first tune I actually wrote completely on my own... We were flying then. We were definitely catching up with Marc Bolan."Jim Lea: 'Feel The Noize' 1984

According to Chris Charlesworth in the 1997 'Feel The Noize' Greatest Hits (remastered) sleevenotes, some months before the songs release, the band had played at the Boston Gliderdrome in Linolnshire. A bouncer had told them about another act who'd appeared there drunk - "crazy with whiskey" - which gave Holder the idea for the lyrics.

"I came up with the title after one of our shows. Wherever we played, the venue would be devastated by the end of the night. Loads of seats were always ripped out and smashed to pieces. Our repair bills were astronomical. We never made any money from touring because of it. At the height of the mayhem, it cost us a fortune. After one particular gig at Wembley Arena, I walked back out on stage to take a look at the hall. We had done two shows there that day, one in the afternoon and another in the evening. They were both for charity. All the money made was going to build a new wing on a handicapped kids' school in London, which we later went to open. All the fans had gone home and the place was deserted. I looked out at this huge hall and there was nothing but a massive pile of chairs in the middle of the floor. The cleaners had chucked them in a heap like it was a big bonfire. I thought, 'Christ, everyone must have been crazy tonight!'

Crazy was one of my catchwords on stage. I used to shout, 'Everybody's crazy,' at the audience between songs, when they were going really wild. I came up with a song title there and then. It was 'My my, We're All Crazee Now'. A couple of days later, Jimmy and I had finished the song and we played it to Chas on acoustic guitars in the studio. He said, 'It's brilliant. I love it. And what a great title `"Mama We're All Crazee Now". What the hell does that mean?' I said, 'No, no. It's not "Mama", its "My my" ... ' As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I knew 'Mama' was much better. So, really, it was Chas' idea, although it was an accident. He had just misheard it. We all knew 'Mama' was a great single. We had hit on our benchmark sound. It was perfect for Slade, very raucous, but catchy and pop. It was a better stage song than 'Coz I Luv You'. It was a real powerhouse record. It had all the right ingredients, including a long playout at the end with me singing, 'Mama, mama, mama, mama, yeah!' It was my ad-libbing again. Chas was fantastic for catching things like that in the studio. I've never found another producer who does it. He'd let me sing whatever came into my head on the spur of the moment, then keep most of it in. He loved ad-libs. I'd just be trying stuff out and he'd tape the lot. He never wiped anything. He kept the howl at the start of 'Mama', which was actually me warming up my voice. On 'Cum On Feel The Noize', when I go 'Baby, baby, baby' at the beginning, it was just something I did on a guide vocal to bring the band in. It was never originally intended to be on the record.

Musically, 'Mama' took us to another level. It was a classic Slade song. Everyone loved it and everyone knew all the words. The playout at the end was famous in itself. It went on for a minute after the song finished. On stage, I would sing it to the audience and they'd chant it back. It became another trademark."Noddy Holder: "Who's Crazee Now?"

"After 'Coz I Luv You' and 'Take Me Bak Home' had both gone to No.1, it was a lot harder for us to make an impact. When a new band gets to the top of the charts, it seems fresh and exciting. When you've already been there a couple of times, people don't take as much notice. As usual, Chas had the answer. He said, 'Your next single has to enter the charts really high up, maybe at NO.1: Today, it means nothing for a record to go in at No.1, but back then it was a really big deal. Only five records since the start of the charts in 1952 had gone straight in at No.I. Chas and John Fruin, the head of Polydor, devised a plan.

It was a totally new idea. The pair of them came up with a marketing campaign whereby our single would be played on TV and radio for a few weeks before it was in the shops. Again, it's common practice now, but in the '70s, all bands would cut a single in two days tops, mix it the following day, then it would be pressed, packaged and out the next week. The total turnaround time was about a fortnight. Singles were just churned out.

As soon as 'Mama' was recorded, Chas put his marketing campaign into action. He got us on Top Of The Pops to preview the song and he got us pre-release radio play. Unfortunately, things didn't quite go according to plan. Before the record actually came out, we had to leave for the States. That meant we weren't around during the week of release to do any TV or press interviews. 'Mama' still entered the charts at NO.2. The following week, it was No.I. The whole business was flabbergasted. In those days, most records went in at No.30, climbed to No.25, then four or five weeks later got to No.I. Chas said, 'If you can make it to No.2 when you're not even in the country, you can definitely go straight in at No.1 next time'."Noddy Holder: "Who's Crazee Now?"

When 'Mama Weer All Crazee Now' hit the public domain, it was probably the defining moment for Slade. Everything before this release had been of a 'suck it and see' nature. Learning to write and experimenting with styles, "Let's try writing the violin in", record the claps and stomps, what about a Stones riff?

In Mama..., it came together and blew up! Mama... grew from the breakdown in Take Me Bak 'Ome, the "I Want You" bit near the end was apparently going to be done in the manner of "I don't want to..." in Mama.... Lea heard Holder singing it and got the idea for Mama...

A great idea it was to, the roar of the opening chords, that thunderous bassline barging its way in and Noddy's howl. It's an animal and not one you want to meet in a dark alley. The 'out of control party' subject matter, chanting chorus and the handclaps, the euphoric guitar licks, this song has it all. Everything about it makes you want to howl at the moon. This song says S-L-A-D-E and in the dictionary, under Slade, it should say: "See Mama Weer All Crazee Now".

The B-side was another track treasured by Slade fans as it was unavailable elsewhere. An interesting title and on playing it for the first time I was surprised by the lowlife, dirt-bag chords and nasty vocals. Everything about this song is grimy, in a good way of but if sound was colour then 'Mama Weer All Crazee Now' would be yellow and orange whereas this is a dark red. The chorus lifts it up with some interesting harmonies but it was completely different (again) and although its not as good as previous B-sides, I loved the dis-chord, the bass in the breakdown and the jangling guitar.

I also loved the fact that it showed another side to Slade. I allowed me to play Slade alongside Black Sabbath without sounding daft.

This full face copy below sports the Barn Schroeder Music in the white box as I'd expect on a UK release but oddly, it's not my original copy. I am quite sure I bought the copy below it (from Guy Norris in East Ham) when it was released. Austro Mechana does not sound very UK though, does it?

Mama Weer All Crazee Now

Man Who Speeks Evil

The single was also successful in other European countries charting at #5 in Switzerland, #6 in Austria and Germany and #7 in the Netherlands. It also peaked at #76 in the US and #3 in Australia.

I don't want to drink my whisky like you doI don't need to spend my money but still do

Don't stop now a-c'monAnother drop now a-c'monI wanna lot now so c'monThat's right, that's rightI said mama but we're all crazy nowI said mama but we're all crazy nowI said mama but we're all crazy now

A you told me fool fire water won't hurt meA you tease me and all my ladies desert me

Don't stop now a-c'monAnother drop now a-c'monI wanna lot now so c'monThat's right, that's rightI said mama but we're all crazy nowI said mama but we're all crazy nowI said mama but we're all crazy now

Stop it

I don't want to drink my whisky but still doI had enough to fill up "H" Hill's left shoe

Don't stop now a-c'monAnother drop now a-c'monI wanna lot now so c'monThat's right, that's rightI said mama but we're all crazy nowI said mama but we're all crazy nowI said mama but we're all crazy now

A very popular bootleg across Europe and valued for its excellent soundboard quality. Unfortunately, a wealth of misinformation exists around it.

This set was recorded live by the BBC on 17th August 1972 at the Paris Studios, Lower Regent Street, London. It was hosted by Mike Harding, a popular BBC disc jockey, and was broadcast by BBC's Radio One"In Concert" on the 30th September 1972.

All of this does not change the fact that the production was diabolical. For reasons best known to the man on the mixing desk, the bands instrumentation was split up across the stereo channels. The bands carefully crafted 'wall of noize' has been dissected leaving Slade playing in an empty void. My guess is that the BBC sound crew were still excited about how best to make use of FM radio technology within the world of Pop Music. The ability to make everything sound spacious and individual was probably the baseline of their directive, the complete opposite of Slade's intended delivery technique.

Another unfortunate event is Jim Lea's violin. He delivers a great rendition of Django Reinhardt'sLady Be Good which the group then follow up with Coz I Luv You which sounds empty until the Dave Hill & Don Powell join in. The reason becomes apparent when the song gets to the middle eight and the violin solo is not to be heard. As the vocal comes back in so does the violin but it's too late, the song is all but over. What is difficult to ascertain is whether its an instrument problem or a mixing desk problem. There doesn't appear to be the usual interference associated with a loose or faulty cable and I'm sure Jim Lea would have noticed, had his violin not been making music?

Hear Me Calling

In Like A Shot From My Gun

Look Wot You Dun

Keep On Rocking

Move Over Baby

Mama We Are All Crazy Now

Lady Be Good

Coz I Luv You

Take Me Back `Ome

Get Down And Get With It

Good Golly Miss Molly

This is now available as part of the Salvo Slade Remastered collection on Union Square Music. The Live At The BBC release is a 2xCD collection featuring Maida Vale studio recordings and a superb copy of this gig remastered by Tim Turan. The missing Jim Lea violin solo has been recovered and the music is now beautifully balanced to represent Slade at their best.

Cover material is included in the rar file here featuring the Brigitte Kowalczyk artwork?

The Paris Theatre(also known as Paris Studios) was a former cinema located in Lower Regent Street, London, which was converted into a theatre by the BBC for radio broadcasts. It was used for several decades by the BBC as the main venue for the comedy programmes requiring an audience broadcast on BBC Radios 2 and 4.

The BBC also recorded performances by many famous musical artists at the Paris Theatre, including The Beatles. Some of these performances were recorded as part of the In Concert and Sounds of the Seventies series, in front of live studio audiences. The venue closed in 1995, being replaced by the purpose-built BBC Radio Theatre in Broadcasting House. The demise of the Paris Theatre was marked with a commemorative concert and broadcast.

This set was recorded live on 17th August 1972 at the Paris Studios despite the BBC transcription disc notes, which apparently, list it as Golders Green Hippodrome 28th May 1972, a few months before they actually recorded Mama Weer All Crazee Now? Recorded before an intimate live London audience and hosted by popular DJ, Mike Harding, this now historic performance was broadcast on BBC Radio One"In Concert" 30th September 1972. The recording has been widely bootlegged as 'Watch Out Here Cum T'Nutz',

This is a genuine slice of music history for any fan. Capturing Slade during their early 70's career. This scarce 'In Concert' series, in-house recording features some great music and professional production, making it worthy of serious attention for it's unique sound, The actual BBC Transcription Disc came complete with informative cue sheets (Here Me Calling? sic.) detailing the Mike Harding dialogue and ad lib with Noddy Holder. Sit back and marvel at the stereo instrument separation (that Slade worked so hard to lose in their live act), listen to Noddy encourage the crowd to stomp along with Coz I Luv You and wonder where Jim Lea's violin solo has gone?

This is now available as part of the Salvo Slade Remastered collection on Union Square Music. The Live At The BBC release is a 2xCD collection featuring Maida Vale studio recordings and a superb copy of this gig remastered by Tim Turan. The missing Jim Lea violin solo has been recovered and the music is now beautifully balanced to represent Slade at their best.

Welcome

There is nothing new on this blog, everything here has been previously available elsewhere, in one format or another. My aim here is to try to ensure that the information is available to all Slade fans everywhere.

My thanks to Chris Selby (without whom I would know nothing)and anybody else that has supplied anything personal to this or any other media collection. I must apologise to Chris Charlesworth for taking liberty's with his book. Anybody who is interested in the group's history should invest in a copy of 'Feel The Noize', generally considered to be The Slade Bible by most fans. And last but by no means least,Keith Farley ('N Between Times) and John R. Woodhouse (Brum Beat) who have provided much background information by way of their on-line research, These should be studied by anybody with any interest in the 60's Midland Beat era. More general 60's info can be found at Marmalade Skies, a source of invaluable pop essentials.

Any offer of missing artwork would be gratefully received. My main concern is to get 'readable text' for the trainspotters.

Contributors

Official Media

All of Slade's official releases have been remastered and released on CD with good quality packaging and comprehensive sleeve notes by Salvo for Union Square. I would recommend the purchase of this collection to anybody who is interested in the group. This blog will not be making any official music available for download.

Images are for review or research purposes only. All images, audio, video, text, etc. is copyright. Apart from fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, transmitted in any form without the prior written permission of the copyright holder.

The Historian

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Chris Selby for his input. This site owes much, if not all, to his relentless research and charitable nature. Keep up the good work mate.

Slade Fans

Help Slade...

Email

Subject: From Roots To Boots

mcp59 at live dot co dot uk

Copyright

No part of this work should be reproduced or used without the express permission of the author or his associates. Failure to comply may result in legal action. This blog copyright of Michael Parker and associated sources.